A Golden Buddha Watching the World from Chiang Mai
LOOKING THROUGH THE BARS AT CHIANG MAI
Chiang Mai, Thailand, is famous for its gorgeous Buddhist temples, known as Wats. Each temple is unique, with its own colorful style and peaceful vibe. While exploring a smaller building on one temple’s grounds, I found a tiny, quiet shrine that was completely open for visitors to walk right in.
Inside sat a beautiful golden statue of a Reclining Buddha. At first, I went inside to take a few close-up photos. But when I walked back out into the yard and looked through a window, the whole view changed. Tropical green palm trees framed the window, and through the iron bars, it looked like the golden Buddha was quietly staring back out at the world.
You might wonder why a temple building with an open door would have bars on the windows. In Thai temple design, metal window bars—or "lukkroat"—actually serve a few clever purposes. While they do offer security after hours when the main doors are locked, they are also designed to let cool air breeze through the building while keeping out wild animals like birds and monkeys. Over time, these bars became a classic part of Thai architecture, turning a simple safety feature into a neat artistic frame for photos!
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